Power-press control



1 192 Q A. BYERLEIN POWER PRESS CONTROL Filed Jan. '7, 1925 4Sheets-Sheet l Jul 19, 1927.

1,636,497 A. A. BYERLEIN POWER PRES S CONTROL Filed Jan. 7, 1925 4Sheets-Sheet 2,

attic-anal 19 1927. A. A. BYERLEIN POWER PRESS CONTROL Filed Jan. 7,1925 4 Sheets-Sheet 5 July 1927' A. A. BYERLEIN POWER PRESS CONTROLFiled Jan. 7. 1925 4 sheets-Sheet =4 Patented July 19, 1927.

UNITED STATES ARTHUR A. BYERLEIN, OF DETROIT, MICHIGAN.

POWER-PRESS CONTROL.

Application filed January 7, 192-5.

The present invention relates to power presses of the type adapted foruse in stamping metal, and particularly to the control means therefor.

One of the principal objects of the present invention is to provide sucha power press with clutch operating means so constructed that the pressmay be stopped either automatically at a predetermined period in-the inoperation of the press or manually controlled at any time as desired.

A further object is the provision of a control mechanism for presses andmachines of like character having means operating automatically to stopthe press, in which initial movement of a control member by which thepress is manually controlled is operable to disconnect the engagement ofsuch auto matic stopping means.

Other objects and advantages of the invention will be apparent from thefollow ing description taken in connection with the accompanyingdrawings, in which Fig. 1 is a front elevation of a portion of the pressshowing the control mechanism;

Fig. 2 is a side elevation of the press;

Rig. 3 is an elevation of the trip mechanism forming part of the presentinvention;

Figs. i and 5 are sectional views, with parts broken away, taken on theline 4 4. of Fig. 3 and showing several operating positions of the tripmechanism;

Figs. 6 and 7 are views similar to Figs. i and 5, showing a second formof the trip mechanism Fig. 8 is an exploded sectional view on the line8-8 of Fig. 6; i

Fig. 9 is a sideelevation of a third form of trip mechanism Fig. 10 is asectional view of Fig. 9 corresponding to Fig. 4; and

Fig. 11 is a detail. view of the trip actuated member.

Referring to the drawings, and particularly Figs. 1 to 5 showing oneform of the invention, designates a power press only partof which isshown. This press is provided with a slide member 21 slidably m mountedin the side frame 22 and driven from the crank shaft 23. The slide 21may be connected to the crank shaft 23 by cranks 1.9 or any othersuitable means which will impart to the slide 21 a reciprocating motionupon rotation of the crank shaft 23 in one direction.

In presses used for stamping metal the Serial No. 1,018.

slide is generally operated intermittently, One complete cycle ofoperation consisting of a forward or down stroke of the slide 21followed by a backward or up stroke of the slide 21, the slide beingbrought to rest in an upper position to permitof removing the formedwork and inserting a fresh blank. For the purpose of impartingintermittent motion to the slide, the press is provided with acontinuously rotating shaft 24: to which the crank shaft may beconnected from time to time by means of a gear train including the gear25 and a clutch 26. In the form of clutch herein shown the outer shellor casing is adapted to rotate when the crank shaft 23 is being drivenfrom the shaft 2 1, and to assist in arresting the crank shaft 23 andclutch 26 at the proper point, the press may be provided with a' brakeband 27 which is adapted to bear frictionally upon the outer surface ofthe clutch housing or casing 26.

The clutch and the brake are controlled from the clutch control shaft 30to which is keyed a lever 31, the lower portion of which is formed as ayoke and is connected with clutch sleeve 32. The upper end of the lever31 is connected through link 33 to the joint between toggle links 34 and34;, link 34 being pivoted at its lower end to a fixed axis so thatmovement of link 38 rocks the arm to which the upper toggle lever 34 ispivoted. Arm 35 is fast on a rock shaft which bears a second arm 35connected at its end to rod 36 which is fastened at one end of the brakeband 27 the opposite end of which is fastened at 37 as shown in Fig. 2.-The construction of the clutch is such that when the clutch operatinglever 31 is turned in a clockwise direction, as viewed in Fig. l, theclutch connects the crank shaft 23 with the shaft 24 to cause operationof the press. At the same time the lever 31 breaks the toggle el torelease the brake 27 as will be apparent from Fig. 1. When the shaft 30is rotated in an opposite or counter-clockwise direction the operationof the clutch and the brake is reversed, that is, clutch collar 32 ismoved to the right to disengage theclutch and at the same time thetoggle 34 is actuated to apply the brake 27. While the brake is, broadlyspeaking, released while the clutch is engaged and is applied while theclutch is disengaged, it should be understood that the exact time ofapplication or release of the brake 27 with respect to the operation ofthe clutch may be varied Wvithin wide hmlts depending upon theadpistmentof the clutch and the brake and its operating I operating handle whichwhen moved to the press starting position 40*as shown in dotted lines inFig. 1, moves the link 41 upwardly which movement transmitted throughtheo perating shaft 42 to raise the link 43 thereby causing engagementof the clutch and release of the brake and consequent operation of thepress". The press maybe stopped at any point in its cycle of operationby returning the operating handle 40 manually to originalpositio'n or itmay be stopped automatically by trip mechanism connected direct with thecrank shaft 23 by means of a link 44;.

Referring particularly to Figs 3, 4 and 5, the control mechanismincludes an operating shaft 42 joui' nall ed' for rotation in a bracket46'securedto' the side frame of the press. Link 43isconne cte'd betweena rearwardly extending lever 47 rigidly secured to one end of the shaft42 and a reaij'wardl extending lever 36 is rigidly secured on the clutchoperatin shaft 30, 1; trip pawl. le-- ver 48 is non-rotatably key-ed tothe shaft 42. This lever is U-shaped as shown in Fig 11, the cross barof the Ubeing a forwardly extending or head portiontl and the armsbeingla pair of spaced a rearwardly extending arms terminating in lugs50. Loosely mounted on theoperating shaft 42 between the lugs or arms 50of the U-shaped trip pawl lever is a lever 51 which has lugs 52 and 53extending from opposite" sides there of for engagement with the lugs 50of the trip pawl lever 48. The lugs 52 and are so spaced as to permit acertain amount of lost'motion' between themselves and the lug 50 for apurpose to be hereinafter explained. The lever 51 is pivotally connectedwith the upper end of the link 41.,thelowcr end of which link isconnected to a lever 54 rigidly secured to one end of the shaft 55 uponwhich is carried the operating handle 40. A weighted lever 56 is alsosecured on. the shaft 55 to bias this shaft and the operating. handle 40towards the right or. press stopping position as viewed in Fig. 1, andconsequently tend to maintain it in its normal relationship withoperating shaft 42, with thehig' 52 engaging the lug 50. fasten theshaft 3 Loosely mounted on the operating shaft 42 on' either side of thetrip pawl lever 48; are a. pair of triangular frames 5'? which areconnected by bolts and spacers as at 59 and 60 to form. a cage-like()flIrl81,'Wl1lCl1 will be herein termed the trip pawl carrier. v

or actuating part 61 is normally held in engagement with the actuatingpart of trip pawl lever 48 by means of asp'ring pressed plunger 64 whichis carried in boss 65 of the trip pawl carrier. The portion 49- of thetrip pawl lever 48- carries an unlocking pin 66 slidably mounted in anaperture 0.. tending through the lug 49 from front to rear, the forwardend of the itlnlocking pin 66 being in line with a portion of the trippawl or actuating part ('31 and the rearward end of the unlockingpinbei-ng in line with an upwardly extending unlocking lug 67 formed onthe lever 51. Unlocking pin'GG is yieldingly held in its rearwardposition as indicated in Fig. 4 by a spring or other Suitable means. Thetrip pawl carrier is connected by means of bolt 59 and link 44 with acrank plate 68 secured on theend of crank shaft 23. This crank plate 68is angularly adjustable with respect to the end of the crank shaft 23,by means of the slots and locking bolts shown in Fig. 2, whereby theposition of the trip pawl carrier and link 44'may. be varied withrespect to the stroke of theslide 21.

To place the press in operatioi'i the operating handle 40- is moved, tothe press starting position 403 as 'idicated in dotted lines in Fig. l.'lhisraises the link 41 and lever 51, whereupon the lug 67 carried bythe lever 51 moves the unlocking pin 66 to the right, from the positionin Fig. 4;, to disengage the trip pawl .61 from the lip or shoulder 63of the trip pawl lever or actuated part, as shown in Fig. 5. On furthertravel of the lever 51, after the trip pawl lever 61 has been thus ill)disengaged, the lugs engage the lugs 50 p to rock the operating shaft42in clockwise direction to the position shown in Fig' 5. The link 43 isthus moved upwardly to cause engagement of the clutch 26jt-herehyplacing the press in operation. Rotation of the crank shaft 23 of courserotates the crank plate 68 which is mounted on the crank shaft 23; that,coineidently with the downward of slide 21, the link 44 moves .iy andswings the trip pawl car-- rier to, the position indicated in dottedlines in Fig. 5, in which position, it will be-observed, there is aconsiderable clearance between the lip or shoulder 62 of'the trip oractuatingpartand the lip. or shoulder- 63 of the actuated part 48.During the upward movement of the crank plate 68 and zil-ide 21 the trippawllcarrier again swings upwardly carrying with it the trip pawl oractuating part 61, and during the latter part of this upward movementshoulder 62 of the trip pawl engages shoulder 63 of the trip pawl lever01' actuated part and returns the latter to its initial position asshown in Fig. 4, thereby disengaging the clutch and stopping the press.In this connection, it should be noted that immediately upon the releaseof the operating handle 40 by the operator, the lever 51 swingsdownwardly under the influence of the weight 56 until the lugs 52 are inengagement with the lugs 50, and the lug 67 on the lever 51 is withdrawnfrom engagement with the unlocking pin 66, thereby permitting the latterto return to its initial position. But the effect of the weight 56'isnot sufficient to move the control mechanism to disengage the clutch.although it does swing the lever 51 upon the shaft 42 to with draw theunlocking pin 66 so that all obstacles to the engagement of the lips orshoulders 62 and 63 on the upward movement of the pawl 61 areremoved,and the pawl 61 therefore engages the trip pawl lever 4-8 to stop thepress, as already explained.

From the foregoing, it will be apparent that the present inventionprovides means for manually starting the press and automaticallystopping it. It will. be perceived also that since operating handle 40permanently connected with clutch 26 and brake 2'? through link 11,lever 51, operating shaft +12, and link #18, the press may be stopped atany time by simply moving the operating, handle 40 from the dotted lineposition tO all the way to the full line position 40 shown in Fig. 1;and likewise, because of this permanent connection, the press mayberestarted from any position in which it has been stopped. Should it bedesiral to disable or render inoperative the automatic stoppingmechanism so that the press will operate continuously, subject only to 1anual control by the operating handle 40. this may be done by lockingthe trip pawl 61 in raised position whereby it can not engage theshoulder 63 of the trip pawl lever. To lock the trip pawl in raisedposition the trip pawl carrier is provided with a locking pin 69 (seeFig. 3) which may be turned and permitted to drop, under the action of asuitable spring, into a hole or depression 70 formed in the side of thetrip pawl. 61. Handle 71 is provided for convenience in lifting the trippawl 61 to lock the same in raised position.

In the form of tripping mechanism shown in t and 5, it will be observedthat should the operator hold the operating lever in the startingposition 40 for a sutiicient length of time after the press has beenplaced inoperation, then the unlocking pin 66 will be held in itsforward or unlocking position as shown in Fig. 5, so thatthe shoulder 62of the trip pawl 61 will be prevented from engaging the shoulder 63 ofthe trip pawl lever so that the press will not be automatically stoppedand as a consequence the slide 21 of the press will. continue to operateinstead of coming to rest at the top of its stroke a: previouslydescribed, so long as the handle is thus held.

Figs. 6, 7 and 8 illust ate a second form of the tripping mechanism inwhich there is provision for preventing such continued op eration of theslide member 21 as a result of the operator holding the operating handle10 in the starting position 1O. In this form of the tripping mechanismwhich forms the subject matter of a divisional application filed June11, 1927, Serial No. 198,291, and entitled Power press control, andwhich is generally similar in its general arrangement of parts and inits operation to the form of the inventionshown in Figs. 1 to 5, theun-- locking pin 166 is permanently connected by means of a pivotedlinl-I 190 with the lug" 16? carried by the lever 51. -The trip pawl oractuating part 161 is pivoted at to the trip pawl carrier 57 and carriesat its upper end a pair of grooved side plates 191 which provide a guidefor a slidable trip pawl blocl: 192 having; a head portion and adepending slide portion. A screw 193 secured in the trip pawl 161 andpassing through an apeu ture in the trip pawl block 192, limits theupward sliding; movement of the trip pawl "-loc and at the same timeserves as a central su iiporting post for coiled spring 194: whichspring holds the trip pawl block in its uppermost position. Downwardsliding movement; of the trip pawl block 192 is limited by engagement ofthe block itself .vith the end of the trip pawl 161 as illustrated inFig. 7. A pair of lips r shoulders 1162 ex tend laterally from the sideplates 19' for engagement with the lip or shoulder 63 of the trip pawllever 48.

To start a press having a control mechanism embodying the form oftripping mechanism illustrated in FY 7 and 8, the operating handle 40 ismoved to the starting position 40, as illustrated in Fig. 1, in the samemanner as already des bed. This moven'ient by the operator raises thelever 51 and results, first in moving; the unlocking pin 166 forward tod sengage the trip pawl 161, and second in ro ating the trip pawl lever418 and the operating shaft 153 to the position illustrated in Fig. 7,and to thereby engage the clutch and disengage the bri. to to place thepress in operation. It now the operator holds the operating lever in thestarting position 40 shown in Fig. 1, the tripping mechanism will. beheld in the position illustrated in Fig. 7. With the placir of the pressinto operation, the trip pawl ca rier 57 and trip pawl 161. will, ofcourse, swing downwardly as already described, and p n its. upward.movement the lip or that with this form, of

shoulder formed by the upper suritaceof the sliding pawl block 192 willengage the un locl-vzing pin 166, wvhich pin is still being held in itsforward or unlocking position. However, owing to thc sliding andyielding support of the trip pawl block 192, the latter slidesdownwardly and permits the shoulder 16.2 of the trip pawl 161 to engageand actuate the shoulder 63v of the trip pawl lever or actuated part 48,thereby rocking the trip pawl lever in a countenclockwise direction tostop the press, at the same time to 'cibly moving the lever toinoperative position.

From the ii oregoing it will be 1i ereeived tripping mechanism, it isinmossiblc for the operatorto n'iaintain the press in continuousoperation'merely by holding the operating ha]:

e in the starting position. The press may, however, be placed incontinuous operation by the provision of such means as alreadydescribedfor holding the trip pawl in an elevated or nontripping position; and itmay also be started or stopped manually at any desired period in theopen tion of the press, in the same i'nanner as the form of theinvention shown in Figs. 1 to 5. mere y by suitable movements of theoperating handle 40.

Figs. {land 10 show a third term of tripping mechanism which operates inthe same general ma nncr as the mechanisn'i already described but inwhich the tripping mechanisn'i, consisting of the trip pawl 80, trippawl carrier 81, and trip JZLWl lever 82, is of slightly ditterentconstruction. 11 1'0 the trip pawl 80 is provided with a hook-likeshoulder 83 'movements of the operating handle 40, it

may be stopped automatically at the end of each cycle by the rotation ofthe crank shaft 23, it may be operated continuously by holding theoperating handle in the starting position 4:0, or it may 36% operatedcontinuously upon locking the pawl 80 in the raised or non-trippingposition shown in 9 by means of a locking pin 69 similar to the lockingpin 69, already described l i hile the forms of apparatus hereindescribed constitute preferred embodiments of the invention, it is to beunderstood that the invention is not limited to these precise forms ofa1 paratus, and that changes may be made in either without departingfrom the scope of the invention which is defined in the appended claims.I

h at is claimed is: V

1. In a power press, a slide member mounted for reciprocation therein, adriving member, a driving connection including clutch means operablewhen engaged to operatively connect said members and releasable-todisconnect said members, manual means including an operating lever and acontrol member connectedthereto through a lost motion for engaging saidclutch means to set the press in motion, and means responsive to themovement of the press for automatically disengaging said clutch means tostop the press, said manual means having automatic provisions responsiveto the position of said operating leva' so as to be operated uponrelative movement of said operating lever and control member forrendering said lest-mentioned means inetl'ectivc to ed "forreciprocation therein, a driving m-em-- her, a driving connectionincluding clutch means ope xi le when engaged to operatively connect sad members and releasable to disconne 't said men'rbers, control meansincludine' a member manually movable from an initial pos to cau e ng'rement of said clutch means and consequent operation of the press, andmeans responsive to the o :)eration oi the press for automaticallydisengaging said clutclrn'zeans and returning said manually movablememberto its initial posdtion, said control means having provisionsoperabl upon the interposition of resistance to return movement of thema nualiv movable member for ten'mo arily disconnecting said automaticmeans to render it ineffective.

3. In a power press, a driving shaft, a slide member adapted to beconnected with said driving shaft and to be driven thereby, andmechanism for controlling the connection of the slide member with thedriving shaft, said mechanism comprising a member adapted upon movementinto starting position to operatively connect the slide member with thedriving shaft and upon movement to a stopping position to disconnect theslide member from the driving shaft, a manually controlled lever formoving said member to starting position whereby to operat-ivelyconnectthe sliding member with the driving shaft, and automatic means operatingupon a predetermined movement of the slide member for moving said memberand said manually controlled lever to a stopping position, saidmechanism having provisions controlled by the position of the manuallycontrolled lever so as to be operated by initial. move ment-of saidlever for temporarily rendering the automatic means ineffective to movesaid member to stopping position; i i

4. In a power press, a driving shaft, a slide member adapted to beconnected with ion to a starting position said driving shaft and to bedriven thereby, and mechanism for controlling the connec-. tion of theslide member with the driving shaft comprising a rock shaft adapted tobe moved into starting position to operably connect the slide memberwith the driving shaft and to be moved to a stopping position todisconnect the slide member from the driving shaft, a hand levermanually operable at any time for controlling said rock shaft andconnected to said rock shaft through a lost motion, automatic meansresponsive to the movement of the slide member for engaging and movingsaid rock shaft and hand lever towards starting position, and meansoperable by the initial starting movement of said hand lever forreleasing the engagement of said automatic means and rock shaft topermit the starting of the press. a

5. In a power press, a driving shaft, a slide member adapted to beconnected with said driving shaft and to be driven thereby, andmechanism for controlling the connection of the slide member with thedriving shaft comprising a rock shaft adapted to be moved into startingposition to operably connect the slide member with the driving shaft andto be moved to a stopping position to disconnect the slide member fromthe driving shaft, a hand lever manually operable at any time forcontrolling said rock shaft and connected to said rock shaft through alost motion, automatic means responsive to the movement of the slidemember for engaging and moving saidroclr shaft to stopping position,means operated by the initial starting movement of said hand lever forrendering said automatic means ineffective and arranged to permit thecontinued operation of the press as long as the hand lever is held inthe starting position, and means for returning said lever to a normalposition in relation to said rock shaft when the lever is released topermit the automatic stopping of the press.

6. In a power press, a driving shaft, a slide member adapted to. beconnected with said driving shaft and to be driven thereby, brake meansfor stopping the movement of said slide member, and mechanism forcontrolling the connection of the slide member with the driving shaftand for operating said brake, said mechanism comprising a rock memberadapted upon movement into starting position to operatively connect theslide member with the driving shaft and to disconnect the brake, acontrol lever connected to said rock member through a lost motion, meansnormally urging said control lever towards a normal position in relationto said rock member, and automatic means oscillatably mounted andresponsive to movements of said slide member for engaging said rockmember and moving said mechanism to stopping position to thereby applythe brake and release the clutch, said mechanism having provisionoperable upon relative movement of said control lever and rock memberupon initial starting movement of said control lever for releasing theengcn'ient between said automatic inc-ans and .id rock member.

i". in a power press, a driving n'iember, a crank-shaft, a clutchbetween said driving mend ant. c ank-shaft a brake connected to stop therotation of the cranl-z-shaft, a rock shaft connected to the clutch andto the brake, manual control mechanism capable of manual operation aytime in the operation of the press to effect the manual starting orstopping the press comprising a control lover and an intermediatecontrol member fast on said shaft and corn nected through a lost motionto the control lever, a cranl: pin mounted cccentrically from saidcrankshaft 2 s, a rod operated thereby, an rmtuating part mounted foroscillatory movement about the axis of the rock member and connected tosaid rod to be operated back and forth upon rotation of the crank-shift,an actuated part actuatcd thereby to u omatically move said control.lever and said rock shaft to stop the press, spring means for normallyurging one of said parts into engaging position with the other part, thearra ement being such that initial movement of the control lever fromthe stopping position first effective in causing the disengagement ofthe said parts to permit the continued. operation of the hand controllever for the engagement of the clutch and the release of the brake,said control mechanism having provision effective on one of said partsin preventing its engagement with the other part to permit the continuedoperation of the press.

8. In a power press, a driving member, a crankshaft, a clutch betweensaid driving member and cranl-:-sliaft, a bralre for stepping therotation of the crzmlc-sliaft, a rock shaft for operating the clutch andbrake, an actuating part connected to the crankshaft to be responsive tothe movements thereof, manual control mechanism comprising a handoperatedcontrol lever capable of manual operation at anytime in the operation of the press to effect its manual starting and stopping andconnected through a lost motion to the rock shaft, an actuated partadapted to be engaged and moved by said actuating part to automaticallymove said control lever and said rock shaft and stop the operation ofthe press, means for normally urging one of said parts into engagingposition with the other part, said control mechanism having provisioneffective on one of said parts in preventing the engagement of the partsto permit the continued operation of the press while the hand lllt) ill)lever is held in the starting: position, the arrar 'enieirt benrgsuchthat initialn'iovemient he li-aiid control lever from the stoppingposition is first eliectivehin causing the disengagement of the saidparts to, pern'rit the continued operation or the hand control lever forthe el'igagzgeinento'l? the clutch and v the release of the brake, and amanually ad to stop the rotation of the tranlz-shaft, toggle levere:t'or controlling the brake, arock shalt connected to" the clutch and:to the brake toggle lever-e, rock nien'iber mounted 't'orosoillatorymovement aboutsaid shaft axis, rod connected to said rock member andreciprocally operable by said crank-- shaft, a hand control levercapable of manual operation at any time in the operation of the press toeffect the manual starting or stopping of trol part 7 the presaanintermediate cont on said Lliiift' and connected through a lost motionto the" control lever, an actuating part provided on said rookin'ei'nber, an" actuated part actuated thereby mounted to oscillate withthe rock share about the r'ocl: shaft axis to automatically returnsaidrook shaft to the stopped po-' sition, eprlng lllBilfllSfornorinally urging one of said' parts into engaging relation with theother part, disengaging means manually adjustable to prevent theengagement of said parts to permit the continued operation of thepresS,'andn1eanS for normally urging said liand control lever towardsthe stopped position, the arrangement being such that initial? movementof the hand control lever from the stopped poeition is first eilieetivein causing the diaengageinent of" the actuating and ac- AR UR A; BYERLEI-N.

